Wrong can be Expensive
by Michael Bovee
Recovery Specialist
Consumer Recovery Network
Often times, when we are confronted with a challenge, we look to those in our circle of influence for advice or direction. Maybe we aren't looking for advice, but simply venting to a friend, relative, or acquaintance. Sometimes, what follows a good vent, is unsolicited advice.
Recovery Specialist
Consumer Recovery Network
Often times, when we are confronted with a challenge, we look to those in our circle of influence for advice or direction. Maybe we aren't looking for advice, but simply venting to a friend, relative, or acquaintance. Sometimes, what follows a good vent, is unsolicited advice.
Some of us, like me, have a natural tendency to want to solve a problem or attempt to fix things. Some things I am well qualified to give input on and other things, well, not so much. In fact, I had a plumber at my house today as result of my tendency to want to fix things. Ahem...
What happens when we have a challenge in an area of our lives that we have no experience with or, the experience we thought we had led us to the challenge in the first place? Hopefully, we recognize a shortcoming, look for answers, and seek out our options. If we are talking openly about this challenge within our circle of influence, there is bound to be feedback, sympathy, and helpful suggestions.Some of these suggestions can come from the best of sources, ones with knowledge and experience that can be applied to the issue at hand. Our circle of influence, to my thinking, should be a resource that we draw upon.
But, sometimes, by following unqualified and inexperienced, though probably well intentioned suggestions, things can go very wrong. And wrong can get expensive.
I am writing this piece with a specific example of bad advice in mind that was given to a man that caused him a 5 figure financial harm that could have been avoided.
In April 2005, a man was referred to me that had run into some financial difficulty. At that time, an attorney in his local area had been contacting him about an unpaid credit card bill. The balance at the time was roughly $35,000.00. I explained to this man that, in my experience, it was very likely, due to the size of the debt, his assets, and who the local law firm was, that their next step would be to file a law suit in order to collect. Based on his finances, his goals, and a strong desire to stay out of court, I assisted him in negotiating the account to a lower balance.
In the mean time, he struck up conversation with a friend who encouraged him to join an organization that sells information that would completely eliminate that debt. He did talk to me about this program and, while I did not know that much about it by name, I knew plenty about other programs that sell a promise to zero out debt based on what I like to call "legal esoterica". It's where they claim to eliminate your debt if you buy their system that is based on several very secret legal procedures that most lawyers and even judges don't know about and when applied correctly......POOOOF!!!!......DEBT BE GONE!!!!.......
I could not discourage him from moving forward in that direction. I did encourage him to ask certain questions and demand legitimate proof that said "esoterica" worked. I did not hear back from him. Until last week.
The promoters of this and other programs do a pretty good job of convincing people what they do really works. So much so, this man applied their process to two other accounts, as well. And...got sued. Not once, but three times. The cost for the privilege of this experience was roughly $2,500.00 paid to the promoters of "DEBT BE GONE".
Somewhere, in the course of being sued three times, he and his helpful friend figured out that the "POOOOF" program was not working as advertised. Luckily, someone came along and must have said something like "Dude, no wonder you're in trouble, that POOOOF stuff is not utilizing the "legal esoterica" correctly. I have some powerful "legal dust" that will do the trick". And, for the additional cost of another $2,500.00 paid to the promoter of "legal dust unlimited", the hallucinations continued.
When the "dust" settled, he was left with three judgements totaling over $110,000.00, liens upon his home, a brand-spanking-new wage garnishment, and a healthy amount of skepticism towards things that sound too good to be true.
It appears the courts, attorneys, and creditors were not in possession of the required decoder ring to make sense of the "legal esoterica" mumbo-jumbo. Nor were they willing to participate in the hallucinations provided by "legal dust unlimited".
The judgements are roughly $20,000.00 in excess of what he originally owed and accruing interest, plus the $5,000.00 price for an education in what not to do. Wrong, in this instance. Cost? 25 thousand dollars.
Well meant or best of intentioned feedback can lead to problems and unneeded complications. If we are having difficulty in a specific area of our lives, we should look for qualified and successful solutions.
Obvious examples of this are:
- Mechanical problems are best discussed with a mechanic, not an interior designer.
- Marital issues can be discussed with a marriage counselor or a successful married person, not Aunt Mildred with 5 divorces under her belt.
- Plumbing problems might be best handled by a plumber, not me.
The advice we seek or that is offered up can sometimes do more harm than good. Consider the source and even the bias of the advice you hear. Get competent experienced second and third opinions.Would you take your financial challenges to someone with an ongoing inability to navigate their own financial challenges?
Updates since starting this article:
Agreement to drop the garnishment. Plans in motion to settle all 3 judgements for less than balance.
